30 Things about Dr Spencer Reid
by JJenny89
Summary: Just for fun. And then there was a spin-off... Rating per chapter. Reid/OC Some romance, some friendship, some cases, some humor.
1. 30 things

30 things about . Mentions an OC. I do not own!

1) All together there are several days he can't remember. Some are drug related, some are not.

2) He's grateful for those.

3) There's a tattoo that was once a sharpie drawing.

4) He goes through withdrawal when there's no coffee for more than 12 hours.

5) Saw his crush make out with their professor in the chemistry lab in his last year of Chemistry.

6) Can still sometimes smell sulphuric acid when he sees people making out.

7) He has two things in life he loves even though he doesn't understand them; his godson and his wife.

8) Henry is getting more and more understandable every time. Kaye is still a mystery.

9) Keeps a bottle of Dilaudid in the canister of decaf coffee.

10) Has taken it out once in the last 4 years.

11) Kaye knows.

12) He thinks Morgan should really give Garcia a shot.

13) Wonders why JJ and Will haven't married.

14) Hasn't forgiven JJ yet, but he still loves her.

15) Loves Halloween, but severely dislikes pumpkin, in any incarnation.

16) Doesn't like beer.

17) Thinks his wedding ring wards of the egun. If there was such a thing.

18) Wouldn't change anything about his brain.

19) Not anymore.

20) Wants to have sex on the jet, but hasn't figured out how to accomplish this yet.

21) Isn't lying when he tells Kaye he thinks she's smarter than him sometimes.

22) Loathes her cat.

23) Think said cat is the spawn of Satan. If Satan existed.

24) Misses his mother. His 'real' mother.

25) Doesn't understand why people would use a font that resembles handwriting.

26) Has a hard time reading at a normal pace, but is trying to re-learn the skill.

27) Can't cook at all, even though many people have told him it's 'just like chemistry with edible ingredients'.

28) Drives a Volvo, because it's the safest brand of car.

29) Has no idea who Edward is.

30) Prefers cherry pie over apple pie, but apples over cherries.


	2. New Years

Kind of a follow up from the '30 things'. Rating will change per chapter. Has OC Kaye and Reid in a relationship. I do not own, obviously.

*This 'story' is a collection of chapters, there is no linear timeline, each chapter is like a screen-grab.

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><p>Spencer had always really loved visiting Kaye's family. They were some of the few people that were always happy to discuss anything with him, from mathematical theories to philosophical debates. They were brusque, rude, generous and intelligent people. He hadn't understood why Kaye had been so against going home for New Year's, she usually loved going home. But he understood now.<p>

It was hot; the heating must have been up to nearly 80 degrees. And though he wasn't a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, his formal wear was itchy. He wasn't hungry, but he really wanted the salmon sandwiches to come back. He was tired and sleepy. Mostly, he wanted coffee. But the time for coffee was past. As decreed by Grandma de Lynden.

"Having fun?" A voice teased him. Lizzy, Kaye's younger sister, had snuck up on him and sank next to him on the couch. Lizzy, like her siblings, was very attractive, though more outgoing and dramatic.

"Eh… yes, I eh.." He stumbled for a polite response, but Lizzy interrupted with a low laugh.

"I told Kaye to leave you safe in the States. Then again, you just don't realize how awful this family becomes between December 24th and January 1st, unless you experience it." Lizzy, who had 'saved' her boyfriend from the 'celebration', had prominently pouted and complained sporadically throughout the evening.

"Ugh, every time I think; it can't be that bad, I must be remembering it wrong. And every time I end up here I realize; it really is that bad." Kaye sank down on his other side. If someone had told him ten years ago he'd have an excessively attractive woman on either side of him preferring his company over that of the other people in the room, he'd have never believed them.

"It's not that bad, really." He kept his voice low, though there was a fierce discussion going on between the older people in the room that distracted

"Yes, it is." Lizzy sighed deeply. "Have a ball then, won't you dear?" Kaye gave an uncanny rendition of her grandmother.

"No!" He couldn't suppress that reaction and was met by Lizzy's laughter and Kaye's smirk. 'Oilballs', 'balls' for short was a literal translation of the Dutch word 'oliebollen'. They were balls of deep-fried dough with raisins and in the 3 days he'd been here, he'd seen several dozen of those presented with morning coffee, afternoon tea and desert.

"I mean, I like them, but.." he trailed off: the ones this evening were horrid.

"Oh we know." Kaye assured him.

"But these are the _special_ balls from friends." Lizzy delivered the line comically with exaggerated gestures. He realized something must've gotten lost in translation, because in English that sounded very wrong. He bit his lip.

"Friends?" He asked, somewhat mortified.

"F-r-e-n-t-z. It's this fancy expensive bakery two towns over." Kaye explained with an eye roll.

"And if it's from _Frentz _it must be good. And just so we know these are the good, expensive ones, there's the bag." Lizzy gestured blatantly toward the buffet table. There were indeed a few yellow striped bags proclaiming _Frentz_.

"Well grandma Hetty believes that when something is more expensive it naturally follows it's also of a better quality." Kaye explained. He had noticed that about the de Lynden matriarch, he was a profiler after all.

"I would like to propose that the New Years's pastries disprove that hypothesis." He mumbled and was rewarded by two low laughs from the sisters. He smiled slightly, they were right, this was an awful night. But, 38 more minutes and it would be January 1st, and he was promised that the fireworks would be amazing. And that they could go to bed anytime they wanted after the first toast.

"My drink is empty." Kaye told him.

"Okay.." Did that mean he was supposed to get a new one? He took the glass and rose.

"Let's get one together." That confused him even more. Lizzy rolled her eyes dramatically.

"She's leaving me here to die a slow and painful death of boredom and balls while you two make out in the garage." Lizzy pouted.

"Be strong sister." Kaye patted Lizzy on the head. Heat rose in his cheeks and he looked away. Lizzy gave a long suffering sigh.

"Go! Be free, young lovers." Lizzy spoke after them, he had realized that 'drama queen' really did apply to certain people. Kaye rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly as she led him towards the back door.

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><p>About four hours later Spencer felt much better and quite awake now. They were in Kaye's childhood bedroom, she on the bed and he on the floor. They had indeed 'made out' in the garage. The cold winter air had been refreshing and they had kept each other warm enough. He always felt weird kissing Kaye in her family home, especially as Rob and Lisa treated him as a second son, let alone have sex. This was why there was an air-mattress on the floor. Suddenly Kaye slipped under his covers and kissed him languidly. He returned the kiss.<p>

"Happy New Years." She whispered.

"Happy New Years." He whispered back, kissing along her jaw. They had to stop when things got heated, they shared a wall with her parents and there was NO way that they'd have sex in that situation. Kaye was cuddled into his side. They, both odd-brained (Kaye's favourite term), couldn't sleep that way, but it was nice for now.

"Were the fireworks worth it?" Kaye asks. He replayed the visual of her, standing outside in a figure hugging dress, sparkly eyes from the champagne, highlighted form the glow of fireworks every few seconds.

"Yes." He paused for a bit, outside there were still bangs and flashes, but they were tapering off. "You know, I've never set off fireworks before." It was oddly exciting. And the de Lyndens had tons of fireworks, the whole neighborhood had come to watch.

"Really? Huh.." Kay mumbled, sleep was catching up to her.

"It's illegal for individuals. Only licensed companies and the government can set off fireworks." He told her.

"That sucks." She mumbled. Sometimes she sounded exactly as what she pretended to be.

"The second part of the night was great. You looked beautiful." It was true. After the requisite toasting, hugging and triplicate cheek kissing, something he still wasn't comfertable with, but didn't shy away from anymore, there had been fireworks and a long walk in the crisp air where people, complete starngers, handed them drinks and snacks. And she _had_ looked stunning. Kaye smiled against his neck and kissed him briefly once more before climbing back into her bed.

"Thanks. Night." He was certain she dropped off in seconds. He was still awake for a bit. He had called his mother in the early afternoon to wish her a Happy New Year, but she hadn't been very lucid. He often wondered how his mother and in-laws would get along were they to ever meet. It would either go over really well or not at all; he wasn't sure. Still he was grateful for his family, all of them.

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><p>Review? Please?<p> 


	3. Forgiveness

Chapter two! Thanks to my two reviews, I really appreciate it! Still not owning the show.

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><p>"Let's just see what Dr. Weber has found." Emily said to JJ. For a short while it had seemed that Reid forgiven them, but for the last week, he was as distant and sarcastic before. She and JJ had been discussing what to do, but there was little they could think of.<p>

They were now on a case in Arizona. A couple of dirt bikers had stumbled on a dead body, only partially buried. Further canvassing had found a mass grave in the desert with 23 skeletons. As neither the little town closest, or even the coroner form the city, had the skills or resources to identify skeletons, the team had brought Dr. K. Weber, a forensic anthropologist, who had previously worked for the UN. They had been assured she was good.

Emil wasn't sure if she was, as she personally couldn't tell a femur from a humerus, but fact remained, they had nothing for one of the most important aspects of profiling: victimology. But, as they'd been told by a harassed Dr. Weber, life didn't end up in Braille on your bones. All they had was sex and an estimate age within 5-10 years. Any other characteristics like hair or eye color, so important for many serial killers, would remain a mystery unless the bones could be linked to a missing persons report. Reid had gone to see if there was anything new, but it had been while ago and he hadn't called.

"Tell me they're wrong." Emily heard Reid's voice it sounded angry and upset. She motioned for JJ to stop and listen. JJ made a 'you-can't-eavesdrop!' motion with her arms, but she was won over when Dr. Weber spoke.

"They are wrong." Dr. Weber sounded even, slightly distracted and a little dismissive. There was a pause.

"Now tell me the truth." Reid sounded a little petulant. Dr. Weber sighed. Emily frowned; she hadn't known Reid knew Dr. Weber, something he would've told her before.

"They're wrong." She sounded apologetic. "But you're not helping either." There was a pause again. They couldn't see what was going on between the two and as one Emily and JJ inched sideways to see better. It wasn't necessary, as Dr. Weber continued.

"Look, I don't know enough about FBI procedure to make a complete judgment call, but if they broke protocol to play online games, not telling you because of protocol is hypocritical. And personally the idea of watching you suffer when she could change it, is offensive to me. So yeah, they're wrong. On the other hand your, for lack of a better term, passive-aggressive bitching, isn't doing you, or your team any favours either." Dr. Weber concluded and there was a long silence again, in which there was pencil scratching and little else.

"What are you saying?" Reid asked. Dr. Weber sighed slightly.

"You once said these people were family. So ask yourself, do you love them? Cause that's what family is, you love them, even when you don't particularly like them. And, can you forgive them? Because if you can't and you can't trust them sufficiently, get a transfer. You can't change what's done; all you can do is move forward. So think hard about this. What can and can't you do and feel?" Emily felt shame creep up. She was well aware that the Scrabble games between her and JJ were a bad, bad, bad idea, but she had missed her family so much. They had used the words to spell out news about the team members. Besides her she could see JJ bow her head.

"I really dislike you sometimes." Reid mentioned, a hint of surprise in his voice. Dr. Weber snorted. "Thanks."

Reid and Dr. Weber must know each other rather well; this was not something you talked about with a stranger. As the silence stretched, she and JJ moved to see into the morgue. There was Reid and Dr. Weber, kissing. Not a polite kiss, a full-on searching-for-cavities kiss. Emily suppressed a gasp. Reid was seeing someone, he'd never told her, thier relationship had efinitely changed for teh worse. JJ must've been thinking along the same road, she looked heartbroken.

Slowly they tiptoed backwards, before walking towards the morgue with heavy steps. When they were almost at the door Reid came out and walked past them quickly without acknowledging them. JJ sighed sadly. They stepped inside.

"Agent Prentiss, Jureau." Dr. Weber acknowledged. She gave no sign of having recently concluded a conversation about them or kissing during work-hours. Emily had to give her props for that. She briefly considered confronting the girl, but decided against it and focused on the findings.

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><p>Three days later Emily was on her way to Reid's apartment. The case was over, the unsub caught, but the latest victim lost. Reid had stopped his 'passive-aggressive bitching' in Dr. Weber's words, but he avoided them and hadn't interacted in any non-professional way.<p>

She walked up the stairs to the 3rd floor; she'd never actually been here before, but Garcia had provided the information. She wasn't sure why she was there, to apologize, to smack him upside the head? She rapped her knuckles against the door; they were going to find out.

Reid opened a minute later, it had taken longer than she'd expected.

"Emily." He greeted, though he sounded grumpy.

"Reid." There were several moments where they stared at each other. She realized she'd underestimated him. He'd always been this sweet, sensitive kid with a super brain to her. But now she realized he had some unmovable standpoints and he wasn't budging.

"Can I come in, to talk?" Emily asked. Reid nodded and stepped out of the way. The apartment was.. bland. It was functional, but nothing really interesting. The only interesting thing seemed to be Dr. Weber. She was dressed in bold colours and drew attention. The profiler in Emily found it interesting that the most notable thing in Reid's place was his girlfriend.

"I'll be doing something, elsewhere." She told them with a wry smile. She touched Reid in passing and disappeared out the door. They must've been together for a while, Emily thought, that touch was loving and familiar. Reid didn't say anything, waiting for her to start. Damn the kid! He knew how to make someone squirm, she'd never noticed that before.

"So.. You and Dr. Weber know each other well?" She asked, deflecting.

"Yes." Short, to the point and grumpy.

"Have you know each other long?" Emily gave it one last try.

"Over a decade." Reid was really pissed at her.

"Look Reid, I just want to- can I sit down?" Emily asked and Reid gave a half shrug indicating she could. He himself remained standing with his arms crossed. He wasn't avoiding eye contact or ignoring her, it seemed Dr. Reid was more comfortable in his own home than elsewhere.

"I'm sorry." Emily started. "I know you're upset you lost a friend, but I-"

"Lost six?" Reid bit at her. "That's just it Emily, you didn't! To us you were dead and gone, but you _knew_ we were alive and I'm sure JJ also kept you informed on what went on. You lost nothing but contact, and not even really that."

"I know, I know and it was wrong. When Doyle contacted me and threatened the team.. I was lost. You're family and I just wanted it all to go away. When I woke up in the hospital it was a done deal. I got my new name in a bad spy-movie like deal and I was off to Paris. It wasn't my decision." She held up her hand as Reid seemed to want to interrupt. "Maybe it was the best decision, but.. And the Scrabble thing… It was a bad idea from the beginning and I knew it, but, I guess I just couldn't help myself." It was a bad excuse, and Reid seemed to feel the same way. "Just.. Reid, I _am _sorry. It was never supposed to be this way."

There was a long silence. Reid was leaning on the kitchen counter, not looking at her, but not ignoring the issue. She was still seated at an awkward angle on the couch. For all that it was a boring looking thing, it was comfortable, Emily randomly noted this.

"Emily." Reid started and sighed. "I'm not mad _that_ you left, I'm mad you kept contact with one person but not everyone else that mourned you. And I'm pissed that somehow you all think that it's okay. That I don't have a right to be mad. I wish I could just accept your apology and not feel like this anymore, but it just doesn't work that way." He finished. She sighed now too.

"Just.. Please don't quit the team?" she pleaded. She'd always really liked the doctor and she'd miss him, like she had in Paris. Reid looked at her confused.

"I, ah, overheard you and Dr. Weber in the morgue.." She confessed, but Reid didn't seem upset about that at all about that.

"I'm not leaving the team." He assured her. There was another uncomfortable pause. Then Emily picked up her coat and purse and moved to the door.

"I really am sorry. Good night."

"Night." Reid echoed.

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><p>Over the next few weeks Reid came around slowly. They went from a bare minimum professional relationship, back to normal and after about three weeks there was a team dinner where there was joking and random factoids no one could follow. She and Reid were fine again. It made her realize that forgiveness was a process, not an action.<p>

JJ and Reid however.. Reid had quite any signs of hostility, but their relationship had noticeably cooled. Emily though it was because JJ had never really apologized, but she kept it to herself. She was just glad to be back.

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><p>Thanks for reading and please review!<p> 


	4. Sex and Math 101

Yay! Chapter 4, Spencer meets Kaye. Closing in on an M rating. Still do not own.

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><p>His head full of a particularly difficult mathematical concept, even for him, Spencer wasn't paying a whole lot of attention as to where he was going. He was seventeen, at CalTech, studying math and his life was pretty good. Suddenly there was an impact and a flurry of papers.<p>

"I'm sorry!" They exclaimed simultaneously and ducked down to gather papers.

"No really, it was my fault, I was reading." Spencer told the girl and showed her his book. She was very beautiful and he felt embarrassment creep up. She also seemed to be around his age, maybe a professor's kid? Suddenly he realized her eyes were watery.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, worry overcoming his awkwardness.

"No, I'm fine." She said, she had a slight accent, but he could still detect the waver in her voice.

"Sorry, but you don't seem fine." He had no idea what made him ask, experience had taught him that he was better off staying away from girls, especially pretty ones. Then he saw a tear roll down her cheek and suddenly he felt as if he was free-falling. What did he say? What did one _do_ with a crying girl?

"Do you want to have a coffee? Coffee makes everything better." He tried desperately. It was ridiculous, but she very briefly met his eyes, wiped her face and noticeably straightened herself.

"That's cake. Cake makes everything better." She said. "Or chocolate." She gave a delicate sniff.

"Well, they have that too." He said. She gave him a quick and small smile.

"Okay then, sure, coffee and cake." She still looked upset but he thanked the heaves she wasn't actually crying.

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><p>Ten minutes later they were in a Starbucks where the girl had indeed bought cake and a mocha. She fiddled with the paper bag before straightening again.<p>

"My name is Kaye by the way." She said, the accent was so slight he couldn't place it.

"Oh! Right… ehm, I'm Spencer, Spencer Reid." He introduced himself. She smiled, a real smile this time. It made her even more beautiful and he almost dropped his coffee.

"Really?" She asked.

"Ehm.. yes?" Why did she ask that?

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude, but in my language that's an article of clothes. You're wearing one." She smiled slightly again and motioned towards his sweater-vest.

"Oh…" What was he supposed to say to that?

"I'm sorry, my name is awful too." She said, did that mean she thought his name was awful?

"Kaye isn't awful." He told her.

"Oh it's not Kaye, that's going to be my professional, academic name. I know that's strange, but I don't want to be Dr. With-that-unpronounceable-name." She told him, speaking quite fast, seemingly she had the same problem he sometimes got.

"So what is it?" He asked and Kaye paused and chewed her lip.

"You laughed at my name; you owe me the same privilege." He pressed, he had no idea what had gotten into him. A well ingrained instinct made him want to look around for a bully looking to beat him up for talking to a girl.

"Yeah, I did didn't I?" She looked away briefly. "Okay, it's Genevieve Karolyn, with a K, Maria van Goudkade – de Lynden." He blinked, he was with her till the last name, or was that last-names?

"That _is_ bad.." He mentioned. "Where are you from?"

"I know! I don't want to spend my life coaching people on how to pronounce my name. It's Dutch by the way." She told him.

"Oh." He had no idea what else to say and there was a silence that seemed to go on for hours.

"Why were you so upset?" He asked. Her eyes darkened and she frantically stirred her coffee. Then she sighed.

"It's stupid. I really wanted to come here and you have no idea what kind of pleading and reasoning it took for my parents to let me come here, across the Atlantic. And now that I've been here for a whole week and a half.. It's overwhelming. I get lost every day, I have no idea where I'm going or what I'm doing. Part of me wants to just go home and never leave." She paused and looked away, he wasn't an expert on human emotion, but she seemed sad.

"I get that." He admitted.

"You know, I haven't been to an actual school since I was eight." She admitted. "There're so many _people_ here." She said the word 'people' with such an inflection he nearly laughed. He realised this girl was very much like him.

"Yes, there are." He agreed. "Were you homeschooled?"

"I suppose. I had private tutors, I loved it." She smiled again and he was happy about that.

"That's great, I'm jealous." He told her and it was true, he would've given a whole lot to have never gone to public school.

"What are you taking?" She asked.

"Pure Mathematics." He answered, he left out he was in his PhD program.

"That was what you were reading? I'm thinking about taking Math here, next Fall." She told him. She was much better at conversation than he was.

"Yes, it's this theorem that takes the Law of-" He broke off, from experience, people didn't want to hear about math.

"Can you show me?" Kaye asked and he blinked.

"Yeah." And he did.

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><p>Three hours later they were surrounded by papers filled with equations. Kaye had a remarkable brain, and a great memory. Not up to par with his, but sticking out head and shoulders above anyone else he'd ever met. He generally hated teaching, because what seemed so extremely simple and straightforward to him, was apparently gibberish to most people. But Kaye, even though he needed to explain a lot of background, caught on quick and asked actually relevant and intelligent questions. Then her cellphone rang. She fished it out and suddenly had a shocked look on her face.<p>

"Hey Daan, sorry, sorry, sorry, ik zie net de tijd pas, ben over tien minuten op de parkeerplaats. Sorry!" She said into the phone. He had no idea as to what she said, but it involved a lot of 'sorry'. He suddenly felt his stomach drop.

"Boyfriend?" He asked, he actually hoped she'd say no, though he'd never have a shot with this girl.

"No, my… guardian… I guess, I'm late, he was picking me up at 5." She told him and he was ridiculously relieved.

"Guardian, I thought your parents.." He trailed off.

"No, no, they're back home, you know, Netherlands. And being a minor.. Daniel is my… keeper? Babysitter? I don't know. Anyway, would you mind explaining the rest to me some other time? Maybe tomorrow?" She asked and his stomach felt strange.

"Yes! Sure, I mean, ehm, my class get off at 3.10, so at 4? Here?" He stumbled.

"Great! Thanks so much!" She packed the papers in her bag and hurried off. _She _was thanking _him_? He mentally shook himself. Tomorrow it was then.

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><p>The next day he felt like smacking himself and bolting. He was back at the Starbucks, but of course she wasn't there. Why would she be? Well, at least there was no angry boyfriend going to beat him up he told himself. He was starting to turn when she saw movement from the corner of his eye. It was Kaye, waving at him and she was alone. The papers were spread out on the table in front of her.<p>

"Hey!" She smiled brightly and pushed a coffee cup towards him. "I was looking at this equation last night and I was thinking, if we change.." She broke off. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No.. not at all, thanks for the coffee." He said, though really, he was just relieved she was actually here. She frowned slightly, two little wrinkles between her eyebrows.

"Welcome, so anyway this equation.." They spent almost two hours doing more math. He'd never really seen it as something you did communally, but Kaye was a great study partner. He could happily spend a few more days sitting there doing math. After a while she suddenly stopped.

"I'm hungry and Daan is picking me up in a few minutes, do you want to come and have dinner? We can even talk about something other than math." She smiled, and for whatever reason, he said yes.

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><p>After that dinner, he spent most of his free time with Kaye, at first just at the university talking about science. Later they went to see movies or museums, Dan the guardian even lent him the car so they could visit San Francisco for a weekend. In his life he'd never really <em>done<em> anything for fun. Mostly he read and studied, taking fieldtrips was new to him. Kaye however seemed to have done nothing but and regaled him with many, many stories of previously visited sights and museums.

They were outside the San Francisco museum of Science when she kissed him. It took him completely by surprise. And it was exhilarating.

"Hmm, wait, stop, please." He implored.

"What? Was that taking assumptions? I'm sorry!" Kaye looked mortified.

"No! No. Just.. how old are you? We haven't really talked about anything personal so.." He asked.

"Ehm, fifteen why?" She looked confused and Spencer's heart sank. When she'd said minor, he'd been hoping for seventeen.

"I'll be eighteen within the month.." And then it would be illegal for them to.. He went red.

"So?" Kaye had a small frown between her eyes, the one she got when he explained some sort of theorem and she felt like she should be getting it, but wasn't.

"Then it's statutory rape." He explained.

"Rape? I kissed _you!_" Kaye was clearly lost.

"No, it's the idea that you, being fifteen, are not emotionally mature enough to give informed consent." That was met with a snort.

"Do _you_ think I'm not emotionally mature enough to decide whether I want to kiss you?" She sounded angry, had he offended her?

"No! I think you're amazing." It was true, but he hadn't meant to say that. Kaye didn't seem to mind.

"Then what's the problem?" She asked.

"Your parents can press charges?" He tried. She actually laughed this time.

"Please! A; they're in Europe. B; they are normal, they aren't going to sue anyone because I want to kiss them! Look I'm sorry if I overstepped, we can pretend this never happened okay?" She placated. That wasn't the point. This was his first kiss and he couldn't think of a better person to share it with. He was somehat worried about their age difference, but... He took her arm and kissed her. This time it was just exhilarating.

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><p>Three weeks later Spencer was stretched out on Kaye's bed trying to revise a chapter, while Kaye was reviewing another chapter of his thesis.<p>

"You know you're supposed to write a thesis on a certain topic right? Not an exhaustive review on everything mathematical ever conceived in the history of man." Kaye sighed and crossed out another paragraph. He'd finally admitted to being close to getting his first PhD and had let Kaye read his work so far. About thirty seconds after he'd handed her the final stack of paper she'd proclaimed him unable to graduate. There was simply too much.

"I know, it's just… It's all connected, everything leads to something else." He complained. He was aware he couldn't hand in a three thousand page thesis, but he wanted to.

"There is nothing wrong with stating: "and this relates to the research of Dr. Giamatti, _but_ that is not relevant to my topic, so I won't get into that"." Kaye teased and climbed next to him, she was warm and soft. He caught her lips and she moved over him. She sat up.

"I'm setting you a limit. Your thesis may not exceed 300 pages, single-sided. Feel free to fudge with font-size and I'm giving you 10 extra pages for illustration." She ordered and it made him laugh.

"Yes ma'am." He knew she was right, all the criticism he'd received from his thesis advisor had been on excess length and the fact that some of his research wasn't understandable to most people. He had been having an exceedingly hard time reducing the volume of his thesis, but Kaye was ruthless with her black sharpie and had scratched out almost 50 pages already. He kissed her again and mentally laughed that he, Nerd Prime, was making out with a beautiful girl instead of focussing on the math. Suddenly his hands met bare skin and lace.

"W-what?" He stuttered. Kaye looked at him with dark eyes.

"What do you think I'm doing?" She teased and worked on getting his shirt off. He was suddenly slammed with heat and nerves. He gave a frantic look at the door.

"W-what about D-dan?" He asked, horrified at the idea that Dan would walk in. Then Kaye touched a certain body part of his and stars exploded behind his eyes and he moaned.

"He's out. Probably making out with his own boyfriend." Kaye whispered in his ear. Spencer rolled them over, kissed her and slid his hands up her ribcage to cup her breasts. He was rewarded with a shudder. Suddenly he sat up.

"What about protection?" He asked, his face aflame. Kaye produced a foil package form somewhere, but he had no idea where. She tilted her head.

"Well then." He sighed. He was excited and aroused and happy. He kissed her again.

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><p>A while later, he wasn't sure how much, he was staring at the little black ink smudges on Kaye's skin. It had been… awkward. And fun, he'd never realized sex could be fun. They'd actually laughed at some of the more awkward things that had happened. And it had been amazing. Really, really, literally mind blowing.<p>

"You know, for the first time since I can remember I had no thoughts. There was just you and nothing else." He mused. It was true, he couldn't remember a time when his mind wasn't active.

"I love those moments when suddenly my mind is quiet. I've had a few before, but sex seems to produce the longest and most pleasurable effects." Kay smirked and even though he was naked and had just actually had sex, he still blushed. "I think we cured genius." She joked. He laughed and shifted his weight.

"Ouch." Something was poking him in the back and he produced the black sharpie, he went to throw it on the ground, but Kaye caught his arm. She took the sharpie and wrote something on his chest. He squinted to get a better look.

"Euler's Formula?" He asked.

"Uhuh, it has three mathematical theorems in one short and sweet equation. Which is my way of saying: keep it short!" She told him with a glint in her eyes. He laughed again. He hadn't laughed this much in.. forever.

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><p>At the end of the semester, when he was getting ready to defend his thesis, all 324 pages, he had been bouncing of the walls with nerves. Kaye had banned him from her apartment because apparently he drove her crazy. But on the day of, three hours before his appointment, Kaye had shown up and almost physically dragged him to her bed. And she had made his mind go blank.<p>

Twenty minutes before he was supposed to defend his thesis she re-wrote Euler's Formula on his chest. And just before he went in, she whispered "Short and Simple!" in his ear. Two hours and 28 minutes he was now officially Dr. Spencer Reid. Kaye had squealed and hugged and kissed him right in front of the board.

Two days later, he was getting packed to home with Kaye, to the Netherlands. After that holiday, he'd leave for MIT to finish his engineering degree, Kaye would stay in California. There were no promises and each had their own plan for the future. He had no idea if or when he'd see her again after the holidays.

He walked up to the counter.

"I'd like to get a tattoo please." He told the girl behind the counter. The girl roled her eyes and handed him a form.

In less time than it had taken for him to get certified, Euler's Formula was permanently ingrained into his skin.

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><p>Thanks for reading! Reviews have on occasion been known to get me out of bed to write!<p> 


	5. Better than therapy

Takes place early season one, or maybe just before. Still not owning anything. Thanks for everyone reading and reviewing! I might attempt so actualy smut, but I feel I'm not terribly good at it..

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><p>After a long and gruelling case, all Spencer wanted to do was get into bed and not come out for a long, long time. However, when he was just inside the front door, he had the feeling that he wasn't alone. He lightly touched his gun and made his way to the living room. When he got there he exhaled, or maybe gasped. Sitting in his comfy chair, was Kaye. She looked tired and worn and was reading a book. He hadn't seen her in quite some time. She looked up with dark eyes when she heard him.<p>

"When did you get here?" He asked. She glanced quickly at her watch.

"A little less than three hours ago." Even her voice was weary.

"You look terrible." He told her. It wasn't quite true, but on Kaye's scale, she did look awful. She didn't joke or tease.

"I know, the last couple of weeks have been… too much." That shocked him. Kaye wasn't like that; she would push through things with indomitable positivity. It usually took a few weeks or months before she'd admit something had been a bad situation.

"Not that you look all that great." She didn't smile. And he didn't feel like smiling either.

"Last case… not so good." He admitted and Kaye gave a humourless chuckle.

"Yeah.." She fished a bottle of brandy from her purse and held it up.

"Please." He said and three minutes later the warm, spicy liquid burned its way down his throat.

"So, still happy you joined the F B I?" Kaye drew out the syllables, slightly mockingly. He took a long swallow of brandy.

"Still happy you went to Rwanda?" He countered. Kaye muttered something unflattering. She was the first person he'd told when he'd been recruited by Gideon. By then she'd been in Belize and Columbia finishing up her PhD research. Rob de Lynden and Rob senior were not happy that their daughter and granddaughter respectively was traipsing around the jungle mostly alone. They had provided her with a cellphone that worked everywhere, really everywhere, so she's always be able to contact help. He'd been writing her letters and she'd been writing back letters that were smudgy and smelling slightly of mold and every single one of them mentioned that he needed to get an email address, even though she was nowhere near an internet connection. That time he'd called her.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hmm, Reid?" Kaye picked up almost immediately. <em>

"_Are you busy?" He asked. _

"_No, just writing up data." She responded. She had sent pictures and he could imagine her sitting in the raised hut writing on damp paper. In the background he heard the screeching of tropical birds. Kaye said she enjoyed it most of the time, he couldn't imagine sharing a shower with the local wildlife._

"_Oh, good. Ehm, just wanted to let you know that I will very most likely graduate coming June." He paused there. "And I applied for the FBI academy." He told her. There was long pause. _

"_Seriously?" She sounded disbelieving, this conversation wasn't going the way he imagined it. He thought she'd be surprised, but not so much that she responded as if he'd proclaimed to become an opera singer. _

"_Yes, there was a lecture at the university about profiling and I got to talking with this profiler named Jason Gideon... It was enormously interesting, he said he thought I'd begood at it. I'm going to do this." He explained. There was another long pause. _

"_Spencer…" There was a pause, Kaye had a habit of switching between his first and last name. "You'll be in the FBI.. You'll have to work with a team, of _people_. You'll have to interact with tons of different people; victims and their families.. it's just.. not something I ever imagined you doing." She paused and he realized she was searching for words. "I'm not sure it'd be good for you." She told him and it made him angry and disappointed. The conversation had deteriorated quickly after that. The downside of really knowing someone was that you really knew how to hit them where it hurt. He had said some things he was not proud of and she had said things that had really cut deep. The conversation had ended with an;_

"_Look I don't need your approval and I don't care whether or not you think I can do this or not!" He'd actually yelled and hung up. She hadn't called back._

* * *

><p><em>A month later, when they had both graduated, Kaye now having accomplished her dream of being Dr. Kaye Weber, she showed up at his campus apartment. He hadn't come to her convocation because he was still angry and she had been hurt by that. They were expected at the de Lynden mid-summer festivalparty that would double as Kaye's 20__th__ birthday party. For a while they were cold and nasty towards each other, but still living together. It was a whole new experience. He couldn't decide if he wanted to have angry sex with her or strangle her. On the plane going to Amsterdam they were sitting next to each other, studiously ignoring that fact when Kaye initiated the conversation._

"_I got a job offer from the UN: to go to Rwanda and identify the skeletons of mass graves and at the sites of the genocide." She said, looking out the window. Suddenly he wasn't angry anymore, he felt like she had kicked him in the stomach. "I took it." He stomach now seemed to have disappeared completely._

"_No." He said._

"_No? What the hell do you mean, no?" He could hear she was getting annoyed._

"_It's a war-zone. It's dangerous, every infectious disease imaginable lives there, the life expectancy is below fifty because they keep killing each other!" He yelled and the other passengers gave him dirty looks. _

"_It's not a war zone anymore and in recent years life expectancy has gone up." She haughtily informed him._

"_Just because there's a piece of paper proclaiming peace doesn't mean they're all friends now. And do you really think everyone is going to appreciate you digging up the skeletons? Literally and figuratively. Kaye… don't be ridiculous!" He whispered fiercely at her. Kaye turned and looked him in the eyes for longer than he could ever imagine doing himself, she was pissed. _

"_Serial killers." Was all she said. He paused. _

"_War-zone." He countered. _

"_Sociopathic psychopaths!" Her voice broke somewhere in the middle and he realized she was scared for him. He was silent, what could he say? He was scared for her, but he wasn't going to a goddamn war-zone. Then it came to him and he wasn't even ashamed of it being a childish thing to do, if it kept her from a war-zone. _

"_Your family will never let you go." He said triumphantly. "I'll smother them in facts of all the things that could happen to you there." Kaye glared at him with a death-stare._

"_I'm an adult, they can't stop me." She proclaimed firmly, but he could see she had thought of that as well. "Besides, do you think they'll be happy about you chasing serial killers?" She countered, and it was a good one._

"_They're not _my_ family." He tried, but he was suddenly overcome with scenarios of the de Lynden's reactions. Kaye snorted._

"_Please, they adopted you sometime between 2 and 2 ½ hours after meeting you." She proclaimed and it made him feel very nice, and terrified. He could see that. And he couldn't see them being happy at the possibility of getting shot. There was a long pause._

"_Look, we got about 6 ½ hours to form a strategy here, maybe 8 if it's Bear picking us up. Let's work together okay?" She implored. He sighed; it wasn't like he could stop her. They plotted._

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><p><em>When they were landing Kaye, who'd been dozing, woke up and held his hand, He was glad for it, though he'd never missed physical contact before he'd met her.<em>

"_It's not that I think you can't do it, you can do anything. I'm just surprised you want to." She admitted and that was probably the closed to an apology he'd ever get. _

"_I don't understand why you want to go to Rwanda." He added. She sighed._

"_Yeah, me either, but I do." She told him. "Go figure." And for the first time in nearly 2 years he kissed her again._

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><p>"Yes. Yes I am. Right now it sucks, but I am SO glad I took that job." Kaye sighed and downed her glass before immediately pouring another.<p>

"You forgot that in four days we fly home for herring and asparagus didn't you?" Kaye asked. The de Lynden family liked to categorize their holidays by menu, new herring and white asparagus was like a spring festival to them. He froze and then downed his own glass, Kaye obligingly refilled.

"Shit." He said, mostly to himself.

"Uhuh." Kaye agreed and took another long swallow. When then had embarked on their respective careers, they had a silent agreement that they would NEVER worry her parents more than necessary, for Rob and Lisa's good and their own. In the beginning they had both stubbornly maintained that their jobs were awesome, they couldn't be having a better time. He, after a case with raped and dismembered children, had broken down first and sobbed on the phone. Kaye, who was a sympathetic crier anyways, had joined right in with her own misery and they had spent a good three hours unloading.

For years after that they had told each other everything: the bad stuff and the good, while they told the parents only the good stuff. Kaye was the one who heard about how depressing and scary his job was. He was the one who was told of the horrid and hopeless situation she lived in. Rob and Lisa got the abridged PG version.

"I came early to see you." Kaye said, the glasses of brandy were getting to her.

"Why?" He asked, his brain was somewhat fuzzy. They poured two more glasses and clinked them to each other.

"Because you always make me feel better. " Kaye admitted, her gaze was on something miles away. "Because I love you. Because it's you. And even though you're not exactly in Disneyland emotionally yourself, you make me happy, or happier." She paused and chuckled. "Christ, I've had too much brandy, I'm thinking." She smiled and patted his knee, getting up. "Don't read into that." He stopped her with a kiss.

"I'm glad you came. I love you."

* * *

><p>When he woke up the next morning, afternoon?, his head was pounding. He was glad his vacation time had started already. Bleary he looked to his right, there was a mound, a vaguely Kaye shaped mound. He gingerly laid down again. What had happened last night? There had been brandy, and then there had been drunken and clumsy sex and then… shit, he might've divulged some case-details. And Kaye had told him about the things that had happened to her in Rwanda. All of this had been accompanied by more brandy.<p>

"Hmmrr. Ugh!" The Kaye mound moved and came alive.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with his eyes closed, he was not in good shape at all.

"Like shit… better." Kaye didn't mince word, but he agreed, sure he was hung-over worse than he'd ever been, but he didn't feel as depressed or down as he had yesterday.

"Oh yeah.." He added non-committable.

"Huh, I don't suppose McDonalds could be persuaded to deliver?" Kaye muttered.

"I'm sure you could bribe them." He responded, hopefully. Kaye started to laugh, but then winced and stopped before carefully getting up and making her way to the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Kaye did actually offer a hundred bucks to whomever delivered them their meals, and 20 minutes later a pimply teen rang the doorbell. He handed over two paper bags and Kaye handed him two fifties and a twenty. The kid stared in wonder; it seemed he hadn't actually believed to be getting the promised money. Then he raised his gaze to Kaye who wore only his shirt and his ratty old terry-cloth robe, even so, her breasts were nicely displayed.<p>

"Hey, you keep staring I want the fifty back." Kaye bit at the kid, and if his head didn't hurt so much he'd have laughed. The kid flushed red and disappeared. Kaye scowled. Tiredness, wear and pain tended to make her snarky and mean. They sat down with their greasy food and hoped the painkillers would kick in soon.

They spent the next few days like they had in college; in bed, sleeping, eating, having sex and discussing science. Occasionally either of them would mention some bad situation in their work. They complained and lamented to their hearts content, knowing that they really _did_ love their jobs. It was better than therapy.

So much better that, several days later, when they'd picked upon their luggage and spotted Bear, Kaye grinned widely and hugged her little brother. Well, little.. Bear de Lynden had been fourteen when Spencer had first met him, and had been around 5'4. Now Bear de Lynden stood at 6'5 and was built like a linebacker. Spencer mentally prepared himself for the hearty handshake and pat on the back.

In the car Bear asked them how they were. The Dutch didn't throw that phrase around like the Americans did, when they asked that, they wanted a full report on how exactly you were doing and feeling. As such the question was reserved for good friends and family. Kaye bumped her knee to his, as if it were a secret handshake.

"Pretty good. We had some issues with supplies a few weeks back, and one of the techs got malaria, so that was annoying, but it's been going pretty well." Kaye started her story. Spencer realized Kaye wasn't lying, just leaving things out and using tone and inflection to make things sound different than what they were. For instance she left out the fact that a colleague had been shot by insurgents and had died of septic shock. He bumped his knee back, they loved their jobs, but some things were much better left unsaid.

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><p>Please review, they make me all happy!<p> 


	6. Normal

I apologize for the delay, I got caught up with other things. Thanks for reading!

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><p>The team had been strong armed into attending an FBI schmooze-gala. All the higher ups and the big wigs were there, and the BAU was supposed to be on their best, most relatable behaviour. Hotch had had bad feelings about it. His team was extremely effectual, but not very conventional. Apparently someone had 'complained' about the team, Reid specifically. Whoever it was had described the doctor as 'not representative of Bureau standards', which he supposed was official-speak for 'weird'.<p>

He was well aware that the young doctor wasn't the most social, likeable or relatable person out there, but he despised the judgement; the kid was brilliant. Yes, there was no doubt he fell within the autism spectrum, but hang those who were too uncomfortable to accept it or too impatient to form a complete opinion.

That was the actual reason tonight everyone was dressed up and uncomfortable. Dr. Hebert, one of the FBI psychologists seemed to be offended by Reid's existence and continually pushed him to force Reid to test for autism or force him into therapy to work on his 'social persona.' He steadily refused and it seemed Dr. Hebert had now gone to the higher-ups.

When Hotch had realised what was happening and hadn't been able to conceive a way to avoid this without making the situation worse, he'd called up Dr. Weber. He wasn't quite sure as to what exactly the relationship between the young doctors was, but the BAU had worked with Dr. Weber before. Hotch had studied the girl on those cases.

Dr. Weber was young, highly intelligent, maybe even on Reid's level and also bordered on the autism spectrum. She, however, hid it much better. She was more aware as to when to shut up and she faked 'normal' better than Reid ever could. Even he hadn't realised it until he'd seen her work. Her stubborn refusal to work on the next skeleton before she finished the first and, like Reid, she never initiated or maintained eye contact, certain patterns that repeated themselves, all signs pointing to

So when the 'invite' had come, he'd hinted towards Dr. Weber that she might want to be Reid's plus-one. So far it seemed to have worked. Dr. Weber was charming and engaging, and Hotch doubted anyone could see the strain it took on her, but him and maybe Rossi. It helped that she was stunning and aware of it, as where she couldn't coach Reid, she distracted people with her charms.

Suddenly he saw Reid getting approached by Dr. Hebert. Dr. Weber was on one of her frequent bathroom breaks. She seemed to excuse herself to gather her 'likeability'. He'd been watching her the whole night, she started out all sweet and charming only to have it wear down, at which point she'd disappear for a bit and come back all charming again. He was starting to make his was over to Reid. The genius was obviously uncomfortable and visibly withdrew more and more as the psychologist spoke. Morgan, who was with Reid, was clearly getting more and more offended and agitated. By the time he reached his team members, Reid had just fled and Morgan seemed ready to tear into Dr. Hebert. He was saved by the sudden reappearance of Dr. Weber.

"Hi, Barbara Hebert? My name is Dr. Kaye Weber." And Dr. Weber stuck out her hand, something she'd never initiate herself unless there was a very good reason. Whatever this would be, Hotch wasn't sure it was good. Dr. Hebert stiffened.

"Ah yes, I've heard about you." Dr. Hebert didn't seem impressed and waited a smidgen too long to shake the other doctor's hand. "I read your thesis."

"Really? What did you think?" Dr. Weber asked. A certain inflection in her voice made Hotch and Morgan pause.

"Well, it was certainly, ehm, how do I put this? Innovative." Dr. Hebert told the younger doctor sweetly. "But professionally speaking, I must say it was flawed, lacking and rather hysterical." It seemed as if she expected the girl to be disappointed and draw away.

"It's a good thing for me that your opinion doesn't matter then, isn't it?" Dr. Weber fired back. Hotch felt a rising admiration and a slight panic. Morgan, and now Rossi and Garcia as well, seemed to settle in for the show. Dr. Hebert froze, and Dr. Weber grabbed a glass of wine from a passing tray.

"I beg your pardon?" Dr. Hebert seemed immensely offended.

"Well, you weren't there when I defended my thesis." Dr. Weber explained.

"I am a leading expert in my field!" Dr. Hebert didn't keep her composure.

"Oh, I disagree." Dr. Weber countered and took a leisure sip of her wine, but spoke just before Dr. Hebert could. "I would say Dr. Schleidecker, Kokinski and Brandt would be the leading experts in your field. Dr. Krentz and Dr. Millar would be the leading experts in your specialization. Not to mention in the last decade you've authored a total of one paper and co-authored one article yes?" Dr. Hebert paled and changed tactics.

"You got your first PhD at nineteen. Your work is unintelligible to 75% of the field. You don't feel that your opinion on _my_ work is a conflict of interest?" Dr. Hebert had reverted to sweet again. Dr. Weber`s eyes flashed dangerously.

"Do I think my opinion on you classifying me as 'abnormal' psychologically and suggesting I need to change my whole personality is a conflict of interest?" Hotch had a feeling this went much deeper than the confrontation between Reid and Dr. Hebert. "No, I don't think it's a conflict of interest at all, as a matter of fact I think I'm your target audience. Not to mention, you underestimate your field, I think I'm quite understandable." Dr. Weber sipped again. "Also I'd like to point out that I have not actually given you my opinion on your work. But let me correct that; I think that your own description is rather fitting: Flawed and rather hysterical." Dr. Weber concluded.

"How dare you? People like you are unable to fully participate in society!" Dr. Hebert had raised her to shrill screeching and Hotch lost all hope that this `discussion` would remain unnoticed.

"'People like me'?" Dr. Weber questioned, her tone scathing. "That's not very professional Barb."

"It's Dr. Hebert!" The woman in question shrieked. Dr. Weber drank again but didn't respond. "I help those poor people!"

"Help? You are a small-minded bully that is frightened of anyone that doesn't act, feel or think like you. You prey on the fear and insecurities of the parents of gifted and autistic children so they hand them over to you. So you can mould them into what _you_ feel is 'normal' and acceptable. You make those kids and even the adults ashamed and afraid of what they are and can do. In many cases you effectively destroy the things they could 'contribute to society' just so you can be secure in their jobs at Wal-Mart. Your 'professional theories' are only accepted by people who are like you; self-righteous, scared and narrow-minded idiots that are worried every day someone smarter than them will expose their ineptitude. Which leads us back to my thesis. You, Barb, are a fanatic relic."

"My name is DOCTOR Hebert!"

"If I felt you deserved that title, I would use it." Dr. Weber answered coolly. She placed her glass on a table and calmly walked off. Dr. Hebert looked as if she wanted to stomp her feet and scream, she curbed that urge though and stormed off.

* * *

><p>"Well, we clearly have a winner." Rossi commented.<p>

"I'll say. I wonder what she'd have said if she'd heard the conversation between Reid and 'Barb'?" Morgan mused.

"That was all kinds of awesome!" Garcia added. "Dr. Weber has risen on my list of super-people."

"What did Dr. Hebert say to Reid?" Hotch interrupted.

"Some crap about him having an abnormal brain and not fitting in and how he'd ended up doing a job he obviously wasn't qualified for. That and pushing him to attend her therapy-sessions." Morgan related.

"That bitch!" Gracia exclaimed. Hotch knew Morgan was protective of the young doctor and was impressed with him for keeping his cool when Dr. Hebert had basically called Reid an inept freak.

"Maybe we should send Dr. Weber flowers?" Garcia continued. Hotch didn't know about that, but he had some thinking to do. But he was certainly glad he'd never pushed Reid to 'learn to be more sociable'.

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><p>Outside it was pretty chilly, but Kaye preferred it over the stuffy hall with all the pompous people. God! She was pissed, she rarely got pissed, but now her heart was pounding with rage and her ears and cheeks were burning an angry red. She needed to cool down fast, because in the mood she was in right now there would be no charm coming from her. She spotted her favourite doctor a little ways away, leaning over the balustrade. She walked over to him.<p>

"Tell me something interesting." She ordered. Reid seemed startled and looked up.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm really fucking pissed right now and the next idiot that will tell me about his policies will most likely be called a short-sighted moron if I don't calm down. So distract me. Tell me something interesting." She was definitely not in a good mood. Spencer's frown deepened.

"What happened?"

"Arg, I ran into Dr. Hebert." Reid flinched the moment she said it. That made Kaye pause. "You know her?" She asked.

"We've met." He grimaced.

"Oh? I've never met her before today, but she's pestered me since I graduated. All this rot about needing therapy and social skills, my moral and societal obligation to aide her 'good work'." Kaye to a breath to continue her rant, it was utter bunk. She stopped when she saw Spencer's face.

"What's the matter?" She asked and Reid turned to lean on the balustrade, looking in the distance.

"She's not wrong is she? I mean, I _am_ socially unskilled and I do have issues functioning in large social settings. I _am_ abnormal." He muttered away from her. Kaye's almost dropped; self-doubt was not one of her issues, quite the contrary. She was rather at loss with what to say. Finally she wiggled under Spencer's arms into the space between Reid and the balustrade. She was pressed flat up against his chest.

"Don't be ridiculous! No, don't speak just yet." She cupped his face. "One; you've half a hard-on, which I dare say is a pretty normal reaction for a heterosexual male. Two; what the hell is normal? I'm not normal, your team members are hardly normal, my family isn't normal; 'normal' is crap. And three; you are an amazing man; brilliant. You use all your wonderful qualities to hunt down serial killers and save people. Hang Dr. Hebert! That –" Kaye paused and composed herself. "woman doesn't know what she's talking about. She's evil."

Reid didn't seem convinced. "Evil?" He asked.

"Oh yes, evil." Kaye confirmed, but Reid remained staring into the dark.

"Okay, let me ask you this then. If it were possible, would you change your mind to be 'normal'?" Kaye posed the question and he knew _she_ never would, she took great pride in her brain.

"Would you still love me?" He asked and could kick himself for the needy question.

"I don't know." Kaye replied honest and took a minute to think about it. "Probably yes, but I don't think we'd be having a relationship." Kaye finished, brutally honest.

"But this is not about me; if you were 'normal' do you really think you'd still want me?" She posed and his first instinct was 'off course!', but when he really thought about it, he wasn't too sure. He thought about his life, all the pain and humiliation and loneliness his mind had caused him. All the times he'd cried and wished to be normal, to have his brain just _shut up_. But then he also thought about his job, what it felt like to know that people really cared about him, abnormal or not, the glory of figuring out something no one else could and the exultation in those brief moments his mind really was quiet.

"No." He admitted. "I wouldn't change a thing. Not now, maybe when I was 10, but not now." Kaye smiled and hopped on the balustrade to kiss him at her leisure.

"Now how about we tell these idiots to shove it and go home?" She asked, the glint in her eye telling him exactly what she was aiming at and his half hard-on, was suddenly a full-blown boner. He smiled into her neck.

"Yes, lets."

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><p>Please review!<p> 


	7. Death and Dilaudid

Okay, firt apologies for the last chapter, I wrote it with a migraine and I need to edit it some more at some point. I will, I promise!. This chapter is rather sad and mentions sex and drugs.

Anyway, thanks for reading and more thanks for reviewing!

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><p>The door closed behind him with a hollow thud. It sounded like the gates of hell closing. Her apartment was just as she left it, rather messy with books and clothes spread around. There was math on the whiteboard in the study and writing on the wall. There was a pair of green high-heeled shoes in the living room and a teapot with some long, long cold tea. The apartment smelled slightly like amber.<p>

It would fade, because Kaye would never come back to refresh the scent. In his own apartment there had been some clothes, some jewelry, books and tea. What was he supposed to do with those? Keep them? Give them back to her family? He could think of nothing but that she would never come back for them.

He couldn't quite wrap his head around it. Last time he'd seen her, she'd been happy, smiling and warm. They'd kissed in the airport and they'd quoted a bunch of sad-movie airport-scenes to each other and laughed. She smiled and had, half-seriously, suggested a quickie in the bathroom. They'd kissed again and she had told him that'd she'd be back when his next mandatory holiday would come around.

Three days ago the mandatory three week holiday from the BAU, they had so many overtime-hours the higher ups forced the to take time off, had started. About six hours before that, at 3 am, he'd gotten a call from Angela Lyons from the UN. She had sounded entirely, perversely too unaffected: He was Dr. Weber's second emergency contact, she was sorry for his loss, they were still searching for her remains, yes they were sure, yes they had the right Dr. Weber, so sorry, no there was no mistake, so very sorry again.  
>He didn't really remember the call, one of the few things in his life he didn't remember. He did remember her phone going straight to voicemail when he called her, convinced she was alive and well and there was a mistake. Her voice was even and the message curt and to the point, Kaye all the way. She sounded like herself, slightly annoyed that you called her when seh was unavailable.<p>

He did remembered calling Rob and Lisa de Lynden, certain it was a mistake. He'd casually enquire about Kaye, as to not worry her parents like he'd promised over and over again, and they'd talk about her adventures in Africa. When the call had connected, around noon their time, he wasn't met with the usual 'DE LYNDEN!' Rob would bellow into the phone to deter solicitors. Rob had picked up, but had sounded… very wrong. When he'd introduced himself, the man had sobbed.

That had been so, so very wrong. Rob was not an emotional man; the de Lyndens were not sentimental people. They didn't lament and they didn't sob. No one had let out more than some controled crying at Rob seniors funeral. Then Lisa had taken over the phone call and she had sounded cold, clinical and detached. He didn't remember what had been said; only that slowly, horribly, he realized it was not a mistake. Kaye was dead and not just dead, very much gone. Exploded. Nothing left to bury or cremate.

He had called her a few more times, only to get her voicemail and he was suddenly reminded of the case of the comic-artist they'd had. It was too much, she couldn't be dead. He couldn't feel this way; this lost and this alone. He couldn't live in a world where Rob de Lynden sobbed and Lisa de Lynden – Weber didn't call him 'son' or sweetie. But most of all, he couldn't live in a world where the only person that understood him, him and his brain, was blown to little pieces. Nothing would ever be right again.

He vaguely remembered the spilled coffee, the sting of the needle and then the blessed, blessed warm forgetfulness. He had spent the last week mostly high, it seemed to be the only way he could breath. When the Dilaudid had run out, he called the number of the dealer. A number he'd deleted from his phone a while ago, but remembered crystal clear. He'd been angry, so very angry with Kaye, that he'd used a sapphire and white-gold pendant necklace to pay for it, never mind that he had plenty of cash.

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><p>Now he was somewhere between sober and withdrawal, standing in her apartment feeling lost. He was torn between utter hatred and blessed relief that his mind filled with memories of her. All kinds of memories, Kaye happy and laughing, naked with dark eyes and bruised lips, angry pacing, rumpled and writing on the whiteboard. She was everywhere, sound, smell and vision crystal clear. Too clear for her to be gone. He could feel her touch him, hands, face and heart. She had to be here, she just had to.<p>

Suddenly something bumped his hip and he looked down at Bear's dog Sarah. Kaye used to, not joked, _used to_ joke that Sarah was his number one fan. Every time he came to Kaye's apartment Sarah would barrel through the doggie-door and smash her 115 pounds against his legs while wagging insanely and begging for hugs. He liked Sarah, the huge dog liked him regardless of awkwardness or high IQ ramblings. Now the Sarah looked up at him with big brown eyes and gave a half-hearted wag and whine, as if seh was sad too.

For the first time since he got the call, he cried. He fell on his knees, hugged the dog and cried and sobbed and chocked. He cried till he was empty and his head hurt almost as much as his heart. When he was done, empty of tears, the world felt empty and cold and rough and he got a little bottle of Dilaudid from his bag, filled up a syringe and waited for the sweet relief to take him. His hands in Sarah's fur he let himself sink deep to a place where Kaye was alive.

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><p>When he woke he was in Kaye's massive bed, but there was no mound, shape or impression next to him. That, combined with his hangover, made him so sick he didn't make it to the bathroom and he threw up in the bin next to the bed. He dry-heaved for a few minutes, but he hadn't eaten in a while, so it didn't do much. When he looked up, he saw Bear.<p>

Kaye's brother looked wrecked and somehow smaller, like he shrank both in size and height. He also looked pissed. Bear took him by the arm, dragged him to the kitchen and shoved a plate of food in his direction. Reid looked around the kitchen, Kaye's kitchen, blearily. It was filled with dishes, food and the accompanying smells. That was the de Lynden cure for everything; food, both the making and eating of, and drink. Spencer spotted a bottle of whiskey, half empty and a glass, also half empty. He squinted at Bear.

"You're drunk." He stated, surprised. Drunk was not something the de Lynden family did, quite like emotional displays. Tipsy and cheery, sure, miserably drunk, no. Bear looked at him with a glare that was painfully like his sister's.

"You OD-ed." Bear bit back. Reid started to argue, but Bear's countenance was so much like Kaye's he couldn't say more than a half-hearted 'no'.

"Don't. Sarah barked the whole building in uproar to get me and you were half-way gone." Bear told him forcefully while he turned his back and chopped something. Quite a feat, Spencer though randomly, as the man was swaying slightly. He listlessly stabbed his fork into the omelet.

"Eat it." Bear ordered as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Reid chewed slowly, there was nothing to say. He wasn't sure if he was happy that Sarah had gotten Bear to keep him alive. Bear stiffened and turned around, his jaw clenched and knuckles white.

"Look man. I know you.." Bear trailed off, his eyes watering. He swallowed and continued. "loved her."

"Don't!" Spencer ordered.

"A lot. And I can't imagine how you-" Bear stubbornly continued, looking mostly at the ceiling.

"Please stop." Reid begged. He couldn't do this, not now, not ever.

"must feel. But man…" Bear seemed to gather strength around him, and it seemed to cost him more than humanly possible.

"I can't." Reid told him and he started to stumble towards the door, but Bear grabbed his arm and forced him to sit back down.

"Can you imagine what she'd say and do if you go meet her in the fucking here-after not two goddamn weeks after she's dead, because you, you fucking idiot, overdosed?" Bear ground out, tears streaming and looked him in the eyes for much too long.  
>Spencer could think of some things, but he really didn't want to. He closed his eyes and tears leaked out. Bear released him and came back with a plate of cake. He stared at it in horror. Cake, cake makes everything better. He put his head down on the table and sobbed.<p>

* * *

><p>For the next five days he stayed in Kaye's apartment where Bear kept watching him like a hawk while cooking and baking, eating and drinking. Spencer himself went through pages and pages of research, data and theories. Every once in a while he took out his phone with the half-hearted intent to call someone. Morgan? Rob and Lisa? His mom? But he never did.<p>

One evening, when Bear had drank himself into a stupor, Spencer poked him some to make sure he wouldn't die of alcohol poisoning and then looked around the apartment. Some things were very wrong. The patterns were way off from what Kaye would create and maintain. She would hate this. Not that it mattered what kaye felt, she was dead after all.  
>He collapsed and fished the little bottle of Dilaudid from between the cushions. He didn't want to overdose; he just wanted to stop feeling this way. He couldn't live like this. He stabbed the needle in his arm and welcomed sweet oblivion.<p>

* * *

><p>When he woke, he was in the massive bed again. This time he wasn't hung over, so he hadn't taken too much. He glanced to his right and there was once again nothing but smooth covers. He stretched out his hand and balled it into a fist, as if to grab her, the memory of her.<p>

"Are you insane?" He heard, the voice angry and disbelieving. He looked at the chair near the closet. On it was Kaye. His jaw dropped, he must be dreaming. It couldn't be. He was still high surely.

"No you're not still high!" She threw at him, like she could read his mind. She looked rail-thin, bruised, her arm was in a cast and she favoured her left side when she got up.

"I repeat, are you insane? You worked so hard for this!" Kaye threw his one-year-sober coin at him. It was a good shot; it hit him in the forehead with a painful thud. Son of a bitch, he was awake and sober.

"You're alive." He wondered out loud. Kaye deflated a bit but covered it up with an exasperated eyeroll.

"Yes, I'm alive." She sounded annoyed, like he was a child that had finally gotten a particularly simple concept.

"But… They called… They said…" He tried, something big and light inflated in his stomach and chest. His breath caught and he felt very lightheaded.

"I know, they're idiots." Kaye dismissed. Spencer scrambled in an upright position as she made her way towards him. He needed to touch her, the make absolutely sure she was real and alive. He put his hands on her thigh, her hip and moved them upwards. She was solid and real. She cupped his cheek and the back of his neck. He looked up at her face. It was real, the little imperfections and the perfect whole. He closed his eyes and tears leaked out. She kissed him.

He choked and then soothed his aches with the feel of her in a desperate frenzy. Her skin, her scent, the sound of her. He filled himself with her. Tugged at her clothes. She was bruised and he stopped his re-discovery of her.

"It's fine, I'm fine, nothing broke." Her voice was breathless with want and a little teary. He couldn't stop and he tore her clothes off, put his hands, his mouth all over her. He desperated whipped her higher, hid hands rembering what made her gasp and moan and sigh. He watched her crash over the edge with a profound relief. When she calmed down and he sank into her, hot and wet and home, he felt an oblivion that even the Dilaudid couldn't replicate.

* * *

><p>Over the next week she told him a little about what had happened, and he expected more once it had all settled down for her. Bear, when she had kicked him awake and chewed him out for drinking himself almost poisoned-drunk, had fallen to his knees and sobbed. Kaye, who was a sympathetic crier anyway, had bawled as well. Reid though it insane, so he just held Sarah back and let the siblings reacquaint.<p>

Kaye had already stopped by her parents, but, not sure whether he'd believe a phone call, decided to just show up alive as irrefutable proof. The three of them spent the week eating everything Bear had cooked in his grief and watching movies. Bear was reluctant to leave Kaye's side, as if she would disappear if he left her presence. But Kaye firmly sent him next door every night so he, Spencer, could reassure himself again and again she was alive.

Every craving, shake or shudder, headache and physical need for Dilaudid he buried inside her so that by the time he had to get back to work he was sober and functioning perfectly. Kaye kept the one-year coin with the promise of giving it back when he reached the mark again.

After his first day back at work he took out a big wad of cash from an ATM and called his dealer. He bought back the necklace and a bottle of back-up Dilaudid. He went to his apartment and replaced the spilled decaf coffee, the bottle of Dilaudid and the necklace in their previous places.

He and Kaye were good, he had the sinking feeling she knew about the back-up bottle, but she didn't say anything. Had he been a God-fearing man, he would've thanked Him on his bare knees for keeping Kaye safe. There was one thing though. After years and years of walking in and out of each other's life as the fancy, their jobs and wants took them, Spencer realized something. He needed her. Permanently, completely. He had to find a way to make her stay.

* * *

><p>Review please! And if anyone has any ideas as to what they want to see in Spencer and Kaye's life...<p> 


	8. Holiday Spirit

Chapter takes place during the holidays when Spencer is at MIT and Kaye still in California.

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><p>Around 5 pm, in a miserably cold and wet snowstorm Spencer made his way home. It was the end of the semester and he was done teaching, thank you Lord. Not that he was religious, but it was a heartfelt sentiment. His TA job was a condition of his scholarship, but he had been consistently tempted to cut out eating if only he didn't have to stand in front of that classroom anymore.<p>

Somewhere in the middle of the semester the presence and company of Chelsea Hartwick had made it more bearable, but that was over and done and it was even more horrible after than it had been before. Chelsea had been pretty, charming and had thoroughly seduced him. His hormones had run rampant and with Kaye in California he'd followed his penis. It had been a thoroughly bad idea, he had realized when he'd walked in on Chelsea and the professor making out in the Chemistry lab. Suddenly he realized Chelsea had found an even better way to cheat on her exams.  
>Walking up to his door he saw a very shiny, very new, black BMW parked in front of his building. In the student infested neighbourhood with couches on the lawn and rusty old cars it stood out like a beacon. Reid wondered what it was doing there and hoped the owner had locked the doors.<p>

When he walked into his apartment he smelled... hot chocolate? He frowned and when he rounded the corner he saw a very shapely figure stand at his stove. Confusion as well as embarrassment slammed him. Then the girl turned.

"Kaye?" He hadn't seen her in over 7 months. Her dark, elbow length curls had apparently been replaced by shoulder length fiery red curls.

"Hey!" She exclaimed and walked up to hug him. He returned the hug and felt a flare of desire as her body pressed against his.

"Ho-how did you get here?" He asked. She smiled brightly.

"I learned how to pick locks." She told him proudly before scooping him a mug of hot-chocolate and handing it to him.

"Ehm.. good for you?" He tried. "But that's illegal." He couldn't stop himself from adding. Kaye laughed.

"You know how I am, Dan got sick of me locking myself out. Sides, are you gonna press charges?" She leaned against the rickety counter and sipped a mug of chocolate herself. The rich taste of homemade coco suffused his taste buds and he smelled food as well, ham maybe.

"No, not at all." He told her sincerely. She beamed and turned to get an actual ham from his unused oven. He nearly moaned, it had been ages since he'd eaten anything that didn't come in a Styrofoam box. "I meant, how did you get to Boston?" He amended.

"Oh, I drove." Kaye mentioned as she searched for plates. "You have no plates?" She asked confused.

"Ehm, I have one." He blushed slightly when she looked confused and slightly offended. "Wait, you drove from Los Angeles to Boston?" That was insane; it had probably taken her five to six days. Then it hit him. "The BMW."

"Yeah isn't it awesome? I love this country that I can drive at sixteen besides, I like driving, it was fun." He couldn't imagine six days in a car on icy roads being fun. "Well… ehm, you take the plate, I'll take the oven dish." Kaye rearranged the food on the plate, the dish and what he though might be a fruit bowl.

"That's.. crazy." He told her and she laughed again, it warmed him more than the hot coco.

"Not at all. I wanted to spend the holidays with you. Look!" Kaye pointed and there was a very, very large box on his coffee-table. He was still a little overwhelmed by her presence, her intrusion, not to mention it was nearly Christmas yet. He stabbed a piece of ham, chewed and swallowed. Then he smiled, Kaye fit into life somehow.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, after Kaye had berated him for his lack of china, spices and furniture, they were seated on the floor on either side of the big box.<p>

"What is this?" Spencer asked, a little hesitant. You never knew with Kaye, for all he knew it might be china and cookware, not that he could or would cook.

"Presents, it is the holiday season." Kaye gleefully took a knife and started cutting into the box. When it was open, he saw she was right; the box was filled with brightly colored presents. Spencer swallowed; he hadn't had a lot of presents in his life. Mostly his mother either forgot or thought the occasion was a plot. He tried to remember the last time he'd gotten a gift. Kaye. He tried to remember the last time he'd gotten a gift that was in no way related to Kaye, but he couldn't.

"Here." Kaye handed him a flat medium sized box. "And this one first." She grabbed a vaguely bottle shaped package, tore off the note and smiled when she read it. Then she unwrapped it and produced a bottle of what looked like wine.

"Ehm, Kaye? You're seventeen." He felt rather embarrassed.

"Really? I had no idea." She deadpanned and rolled her eyes. She got up and took the three steps towards the stove.

"You can't drink." He told her. Kaye ignored him while she poured the wine in a pot and started heating it.

"I didn't buy it. And you're 21." She stated.

"That doesn't matter, you're not allowed to _drink_ under 21." He lectured her. She blinked at him, considering.

"Are you expecting a police raid on your apartment?" She posed.

"No! No, off course not."

"Well then, I won't tell if you won't." Kaye winked and stuck her pinky in the wine before licking the drops off. She then dug up some spices she'd brought and added them. Spencer sighed, it wasn't like anyone would stop by anyway.

When the wine was warm and they both had a coffee mug of it, they sat down on the floor again with the box of presents.

"Well? Open it!" Kaye urged and motioned towards the flat box. It felt strange, he vaguely remembered Christmases when he'd been little where there'd been presents under the tree, but it had been a very long time since he'd opened any presents, especially with another person around. He lifted the folded note and was met with a long note in Dutch. If the de Lyndens spoke Dutch, he got a general idea as to what they were saying, written down however he was lost. He looked at Kaye apologetically, who impatiently plucked it out of his hands. She read it out loud and suddenly he was transported back to hours and hours spent with his mother while she read to him. It was a poem of some sorts. Kaye looked at him expectantly. He had no idea what she actually expected.

"You have no idea what this all means huh?" She asked. He looked around his tiny apartment that now held home cooked food, wine and presents with poems.

"No." He admitted. Kaye laughed.

"Okay, okay, this is my favourite holiday, I guess I kind of jumped into it." She smiled. "December 6th is Saint Nicholas' holiday."

"Saint Nicholas? The patron saint of prostitutes?" Reid asked and felt his face heat up. Kaye was celebrating a prostitute holiday? Kaye laughed again.

"And children. Patron saint of prostitutes and children." Kaye paused and looked pensive. "Maybe that's because prostitution leads to children?" She posed, then shook her head, the fiery res curls he had trouble getting used to. "Anyway, December 5th, the saint and his helpers go to all houses and drop presents through the chimney for all good children. And there's poems on the present gently reminding you of your faults and praising your virtues." Kaye explained very briefly. Hehad teh feeling she wanted to get on with it.

"So close to Christmas?" Spencer wondered.

"No, Christmas doesn't really come with presents where I'm from. Just food and such. Bleh, I loathe Christmas at home." Kaye wrinkled her nose. "A full week cooped up with my family in the most formal way possible: Yech!"

"Really? I liked your family." Redi told her.

"Yeah, me too, just not at Christmas. Anyway, open up!" Kaye deflected and Spencer ripped off the paper. In it was the letter R made of chocolate. Confused or not, he felt very warm inside and he smiled. They tore through the box with glee, Kaye's was infectious and his own grew with every present that showed that the de Lynden family had really had him in mind when they shopped.

He received another chocolate letter, the S (Spencer Reid), and Kaye got the G and the L ('I may use Kaye Weber now but they named me Genevieve de Lynden and they'll damn well use that for my presents.). Added to that was a bottle of brandy he'd come to love when he'd visited her family, a bag of holiday coffee, socks accompanied by a badly written poem from Hetty de Lynden urging him to wear a matching pair and a whole bunch of edibles.

When the box was empty and there were surrounded by scraps of paper and different kinds of food, Kaye produced a white envelope.

"Now for the real present." Kaye announced.

"Wait, what?" Spencer questioned confused.

"Hey, it's a Dutch thing. 'An Envelope', which holds an undisclosed amount of money that will not be commented upon or opened in public. So you can buy what you _really_ want." Kaye said and handed him the plain white envelope with just his name on it. He took it and paused.

"Are you public?" he asked and it made her laugh. She was slightly flushed and her eyes sparkled. Chelsea had very thoroughly stopmed on his heart and balls, but he felt a sudden stab of longing.

"No." She said. Reid took another sip of the mulled wine, which was steadily making him very happy indeed, and opened the Envelope. Promptly he choked on the wine, the spicy-sweet concoction burning in his lungs. He coughed and hacked for a good few minutes. When he blinked the tears out of his eyes, he saw Kaye's concerned face.

"Are you okay?" She asked and he nodded, not quite able to speak. "You're supposed to swallow it, not breath it in you know." Kaye joked. He nodded vaguely again and looked at the cheque once more. That couldn't be right, maybe they'd accidentally added an extra zero, or two. But the written as well as the numerical amount were the same.

"This can't be right." He offered weakly. Kaye frowned and plucked the cheque from his hand and looked at it.

"No this looks about right." She disagreed and Spencer felt his jaw drop. He knew her family had money, but this was.. way too much.

"Jesus Kaye, that's… a fortune." He squeaked.

"Not really.." Kaye trailed off. "Okay, maybe yes, but Lord knows we have enough money. We won't do anything less for that cheque, hell, if our accountants were fraudulent we probably wouldn't even notice it." Kaye told him. He wasn't sure if he found her lack of care considering money refreshing or vulgar. Probably both he though. I mean, he realized teh de Lyndens were well-off and they were generous poeple, but this amount was... obscene.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" He wondered out loud.

"I don't know, buy a car?" Kaye offered and then looked around the apartment. "Buy furniture? Stock in Starbucks? Doesn't matter, it's your money now, what do you _want_?" That was the question he realized. What _did_ he want? It was such a foreign question. Ever since his father had left he'd been struggling with money. The question had always been, what did he _need_?

"I don't know." He admitted. "Let me think about it?"

"Off course, like I said it's your money." Kaye dismissed. He sudden saw the shiny black BMW in his mind. He though it had been Dan's and the man, that was as besotted with Kaye as a gay man could be, had borrowed it to her.

"Did _you_ buy a car with your Envelope?" He asked. He wondered what amount had been on her cheque. He was sure it was more than what was on his cheque, as she was their daughter and granddaughter and he, well, he still wasn't quite sure how they saw him or why the seemed to like hiom so much, but he was sure Kaye had gotten more money than he.

"Yup! I love that car, I even named him Charles." Kaye smiled and his stomach twisted strangely. When he had visited, he _had_ noticed the de Lynden _affluence_, but he's never really thought about it. After all, they had a large house and he had eaten at two restaurants owned by them, but it wasn't as if teh ate of off golden plates. However they were talking staggering amounts of money if no one would notice whether he'd cash his cheque or not. It was discomferting to think about really.

* * *

><p>Reid and Kaye spent two weeks eating their way through all the food that had been in the box. He stuck the cheque to his fridge and ignored it. Kaye didn't mention it either, but he suddenly did notice her spending. She never batted an eye paying for anything. He felt... strange, but he tried his hardest to ignore it.<p>

They took her car, Charles, to visit places he'd been unable to go to on public transit. He had no particular interest in cars beyond the necessity of it going when you hit the gas and stopping when you hit the brake, but he had to admit, it was a really nice vehicle. They spent several days where Kaye tried to teach him how to drive standard, but she was a bad teacher, the roads were covered with ice and snow and he got very anxious when he would stall the car at a stoplight and didn't seem to get it going again. After four days he mostly got it, but he preferred to let Kaye do the driving. If he was to spend his Envelope on a car it would be an automatic he wryly promised himself.

They spent time trying to prove or disprove Fermat's Theorem, which was widely considered impossible. Kaye told him a lot about her research and her love for her field. His bed was very, very narrow; it barely held him, let alone the two of them and definitely not the two of them doing anything more than sleeping, so Kaye had bought a large air-mattress after the first night and they'd made good use of it.

Reid felt very content; there was food, Kaye who was glad to spend all her time with him and he was having a lot of sex. He had spent the first 18 years of his life celibate and before he'd never realized how _enjoyable_ sex could be. The relationship with Chelsea had been exciting and nauseating and physically gratifying, but it had been a world of difference from his relationship with Kaye. His thorough enjoyment of her was only reaffirmed. The only black cloud seemed to be that his friend, basically his only friend, Ethan seemed to really dislike Kaye and avoided her like the plague. Kaye was friendly to Ethan, so he couldn't imagine why Ethan seemed to hate her so much.

* * *

><p>On December 20th Spencer drove her to the airport so Kaye could go home for Christmas. She didn't invite him and he was rather hurt by it, but she assured him it was for <em>his<em> own good. He shrugged it off and spent the holidays with Ethan, who was exactly as he always had been when Kaye wasn't around.

Early February he received a letter from Kaye. When she'd flown back to the US she'd stayed one night at his place and then had driven back to California. He was rather sad to see her go, but they had their own academic careers to think. He thankfully wasn't teaching anymore and had managed to avoid Chelsea completely. In the letter Kaye pressed him to spend his Envelope, saying that even if he decided to donate it all, her parents expected to hear from him about what he'd used the money for. Preferably with pictures.

That day he sat down on the air-mattress he still hadn't put away and looked at the cheque. It had been stuck to his fridge ever since he'd received it, so it didn't give him heart palpitations anymore and for the first time he seriously considered what to do with it. Some of it he would spend going to California, and Kaye, during spring break. Some of it would go towards getting a bigger bed and possibly a couch. He'd donate a sum to the university and research. The rest he wasn't sure about, but he promised himself he'd spend it all. Comfertable or not, Rob and Lisa had given him the money and he really appreciated the gesture even if the amount made him dizzy.

Two days later he started writing.

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><p>So, what do you guys think Spencer spent his money on? Let me know by reviewing! I kinda want to go up to 15 reviews as a Christmas present to me..<p>

Thanks for reading!


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